AMD has started the development of the Linux graphics drivers for its next-gen Zen 5 processors. The Strix Point APUs will leverage the RDNA 3.5 graphics architecture, blending features of RDNA 3 and 4 in an iGPU form. Two new device IDs, “GFX1150” and “GFX1151” have been discovered. AMD’s Linux developers have submitted a patch that provides initial support for “GFX 11.5” on Linux 6.6.
Strix Point will be AMD’s first full-fledged hybrid core processor lineup featuring Zen 5 and Zen 5c cores. The Ryzen 8000 APU family will feature up to 12 cores, including 4P and 8E cores. Unlike Intel’s heterogeneous processors, these cores will be based on the same ISA, with the L3 cache being the distinguishing factor between them.
All the cores will support the entire instruction set, including AVX512 and Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT). Strix Point-H should have a default TDP of 45W with a cTDP range of 35W to 54W. The U-series family usually has a TDP range of 15W to 30W. Considering how AMD has included the power-efficient Zen 5c cores, the cTDP will likely go as low as 9W, making them particularly useful in handhelds.
The Ryzen 8000 flagship, codenamed Strix Halo, will feature a chiplet design with up to 16 Zen 5 cores and an iGPU with up to 40 RDNA 3.5 Compute Units (CUs). This will be a unique chip in that it’ll feature the full 16-core CPU and a beefy iGPU. The existing Dragon Range flagship has a 2 Compute Unit iGPU with a clock of 2.2GHz.
An interesting point about Strix Point and Strix Halo is that they’ll leverage an advanced process node (more than TSMC 4N). As Phoenix Point is already based on a 4nm process, we’re likely looking at a variant of the next-gen 3nm (TSMC N3) node. The Ryzen 8000 “Strix” processors are expected to be unveiled at CES 2024 in Jan next year.
